I bought my bike used from Riverside harley, but there is a sticker on the front of my bike that says something like lifetime nitro member and its from temecula harley...these dealers are in CA of course, but I guess it was an option at that dealer when the bike was sold new....I dont know if there are any benefits to using nitrogen as opposed to air...

 

The valve stem caps say Nitrogen filled with the periodic table symbol for nitrogen, "N"

 

In a perfect world, I would run nitrogen in all my vehicle tires. There was an auto spa in town that offered it. Cannot remember the exact fee. You paid it once and were entitled to all the nitrogen you needed for that particular vehicle. I came close to doing it but am glad I did not because the place went out of business after 3-4 years in business.

All my research indicates nitrogen is the better way to. Per Popular Mechanics:

Q: Is there any advantage to using nitrogen instead of compressed air in tires? Will I notice improved fuel economy or a smoother ride? Will my tires last longer?

A: Sort of. From the top: Air is 78 percent nitrogen, just under 21 percent oxygen, and the rest is water vapor, CO2 and small concentrations of noble gases such as neon and argon. We can ignore the other gases. There are several compelling reasons to use pure nitrogen in tires.

First is that nitrogen is less likely to migrate through tire rubber than is oxygen, which means that your tire pressures will remain more stable over the long term. Racers figured out pretty quickly that tires filled with nitrogen rather than air also exhibit less pressure change with temperature swings. That means more consistent inflation pressures during a race as the tires heat up. And when you're tweaking a race car's handling with half-psi changes, that's important.

Passenger cars can also benefit from the more stable pressures. But there's more: Humidity (water) is a Bad Thing to have inside a tire. Water, present as a vapor or even as a liquid in a tire, causes more of a pressure change with temperature swings than dry air does. It also promotes corrosion of the steel or aluminum rim.

If I ever need to top off a tire when I'm out on the road, I'll always briefly depress the tire chuck's valve with my thumbnail and vent some air. If my thumb gets wet, there's water in the line. Some gas stations don't do a very good job of keeping the humidity out of their air system. I don't even like to use a water-based tire-mounting lubricant unless I can let the tire bake in the sun for a couple of hours before I air it up and seat the bead. I've dismounted tires (not mine) that had several quarts of water inside—probably from a compressed-air hose that collected water and was never purged properly.

How is water relevant to a nitrogen discussion? Any system that delivers pure nitrogen is also going to deliver dry nitrogen. Filling tires with nitrogen involves filling and purging several times in succession, serially diluting the concentration of oxygen in the tire. This will also remove any water.

It's certainly simple, although time-consuming, for a tire technician to fill and bleed tires. But most shops use a machine that not only generates almost pure nitrogen by straining the oxygen out of shop-compressed air, but will also automatically go through several purge cycles unattended. Some shops have been charging as much as $30 per tire for this service. I think that's too much. If you're buying a new tire, it should be far less. Still, the nitrogen generator, filling system and technician's time aren't free—the dealer is entitled to some return for that.

So, to answer your specific questions: With nitrogen, your tire pressures will remain more constant, saving you a small amount in fuel and tire-maintenance costs. There will be less moisture inside your tires, meaning less corrosion on your wheels. You will not be able to feel any difference in the ride or handling or braking, unless your tire pressures were seriously out of spec and changing to nitrogen brought them back to the proper numbers.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...a3894/4302788/

 

Awesome, Good info, thanks!

 

No problem. Have you been refiling your tires with nitrogen? I would love to have a close source of nitrogen. If I did, I would use it.

 

Looks like the computer fuel range is pretty accurate. I've gotten into the habit of keeping my fuel tank full. At the end of a ride for the day. I always top off the tank. Less chance for any condensation build up. Again thanks for sharing your information.

 

I was use to my BMW R1100RT with 7 gal capacity, is the one thing I miss on the LR, have to refill a bit more frequently. When at 100 miles, if in unfamiliar area, I will refill, although one can easily go over 150miles unless riding in heavy head wind heavy loaded.when gauge on E, you can figure at least 1 gal left.

 

I have experienced the same thing. I can ride to or from work 3 times (around 130 miles) before I stop to refill. Wish the LR had the slightly bigger 5 gallon tank found on the Fat Bob.

 

For those LR owners living in colder climates, what do you do for winter storage?

 

Put it in my heated garage with Sta-bil mixed in with a full tank of gas and run through the fuel system. Before I park it I take it out for a good ride so it is completely up to operating temp as well to evaporate any moisture inside the engine. Then I drape some flannel sheets over it and plug it into a battery tender every couple weeks. Oh and I have it parked on a section of carpet as well and perform a full service shortly before parking it.